Government agencies are being urged to find remedies that could help cushion the oil price impact on consumers, especially the public transport sector, as petroleum products are anticipated to go back to their upward price trend. Senate Committee on Energy Vice Chairman Sherwin T. Gatchalian, noted the output cut by global oil producers led by Saudia Arabia is as an "unfortunate’ event and called on government to immediately take actions to "cushion the impact of a possible effect on the domestic economy, particularly since this would further intensify inflationary pressures.” The solon primarily called the attention of the Department of Energy (DOE) to “immediately coordinate with industry players to ensure a sufficient and steady supply of energy in the country.” On top of that, he nudged the Land Transportation Regulatory and Franchising Board (LTFRB) to step up preparation for “efficient and timely implementation of the Pantawid Pasada program,” or the subsidy being extended to the public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers so their financial burden over rising oil prices could be mitigated. The DOE, in particular, has been prodded to initiate discussion with oil companies not just to guarantee uninterrupted supply flow into the country, but also to explore ‘collaboration’ on how adjustments at the pumps could be softened. On Monday, April 3, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its ally-producers (collectively known as OPEC+) announced their plan to pare production by 1.16 million barrels per day and that is targeted for enforcement from May until the end of this year. Taking cue from that, global industry watchers immediately raised alarm on probabilities that oil prices may be climbing again to the $100 per barrel – that’s an escalation from the $70 per barrel level drop in recent weeks. That major development in the market had driven prices up immediately by more than $5.00 per barrel for the futures contract of international benchmark Brent crude; and that is seen triggering fresh upticks in prices at the domestic pumps next week. Based on the calculation of the oil companies, the outcome of trading in the regional market on Monday already portended potential price hikes of P2.35 to P2.75 per liter for gasoline; P1.70 to P2.00 per liter for diesel; and P1.70 to P1.90 per liter for kerosene; and that is still expected to rise in the coming days. As narrated by Gatchalian, past experiences had shown that the effectiveness of the program’s enforcement was “hinged largely on the timeliness of its disbursement to targeted beneficiaries, thus, the need for the government to make preparations as early as possible.” He thus asserted that “to avoid delay in the disbursement of the subsidy and to ensure the desired impact is realized, the LTFRB and other government agencies concerned should be ready to implement the program efficiently and should have learned the lessons from previous disbursements.” As a longer term solution, the government is pushing for the acceleration of electric vehicles (EVs) rollout so the country can lessen its dependence on imported oil; that way, the impact of volatile oil prices could also be eased not just on the pockets of individual consumers but also its spiraling impact on the economy.